Live From Moscow 1979＜Black Vinyl＞

西側世界のロック・スターが初めて冷戦時のソ連の首都モスクワで行ったライヴとしてエルトン・ジョンが人類の歴史にその名を刻んだ、1979年5月28日のモスクワ公演の模様を記録したライヴ・アルバムの40周年記念リイシュー!

当時の新作『A Single Man』にまつわるツアーの一環として、エルトンの長年の盟友であるパーカッショニスト、Ray Cooperを伴い行われた歴史的ライヴ(アルバム『A Single Man』はソ連の国営レーベル=Melodiyaから発売され、西側世界のポップ・スターがソ連で初めて公式リリースしたアルバムとなった)。BBCラジオが英国に放送した番組用のオリジナル・アナログ・マスター・テープから、ゲートウェイ・マスタリングのボブ・ラドウィックがリマスターを実施。2019年のRecords Store Dayで限定盤ウルトラ・クリア・ヴァイナル仕様で初リリースされたLPを、180g重量盤ブラック・ヴァイナルで復刻。

■180g重量盤ブラック・ヴァイナル2枚組
■見開きジャケット仕様

Live from Moscow 1979 is the first official release of a heavily bootlegged show Elton John performed in Moscow on May 29, 1979. It was the last show of his groundbreaking tour of the U.S.S.R., where he was the first rock star to play behind the Iron Curtain (he was preceded by Cliff Richard, who cant quite be called a rocker, especially in 1979), and the occasion was commemorated by a broadcast on the BBC. The tour was historically important, but John was at a bit of a personal and creative crossroads in 1979, separated from his songwriting collaborator and most of his regular backing musicians. That makes Live from Moscow 1979 a bit of a quiet reprieve, containing none of the ersatz pizzazz of A Single Man or the desperate disco of Victim of Love, thanks to how the shows consisted of nothing more than John himself, occasionally supported by longtime percussionist Ray Cooper. The intimacy is appealing but flying solo gives John the freedom to stretch out, which he does often: three of the sixteen tracks are well over ten minutes, with many others bunched around the seven-minute mark. Each of these performances are extended with lots of piano runs, a display of prowess thats alternately dazzling and languid. As the album rolls on, the performances feel a bit formless, an effect that makes the occasional tight number -- such as the quick blast through Better Off Dead -- hit harder, but also suggests that this tour was a way for John to explore his songbook, trying to reconnect with pieces that would resonate with him while he was wandering through the wilderness. That may not make for a dynamic concert album, but it does make for an interesting one. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine